Château Durfort-Vivens: Tasting & Drinking
When I first encountered the wines of Château Durfort-Vivens it was within horizontal tastings, usually looking at wines from the 1980s, back when those wines were still very young. It is only fair to say that Château Durfort-Vivens never really shone in such company; while the better vintages seemed competent, they were often outclassed by lower-ranked chateaux from further north such as, if I recall correctly, Château Beychevelle and Château Branaire-Ducru. As I learnt more about wine, I gradually realised that in this, Château Durfort-Vivens was not alone. Among the second growth Margaux estates (and indeed on other rungs of the classification in this appellation) there were a number of châteaux which, at that time, regularly seemed to underperform. Perhaps, given this estate’s recent history, treated as a second wine to neighbouring estates, château-less and you could perhaps say rudder-less, this was all understandable.
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